Vending machine coin mechanism

ABSTRACT

A hot drink coin operated vending machine including a dry product which is dispensed in response to the proper coins being inserted into the coin mechanism. The coin mechanism includes an inlet opening which gauges the thickness, height and flatness of the coin and the passageway through which the coin moves includes an undersized coin reject spring. A control lever manually operated, includes top and bottom elements which alternately project into the passageway when the lever is in raised and lowered positions. The space between the elements accommodates the desired number of coins and micro switches engage the sides of the coins to control the flow of dry product. Upon release of the coins, the product dispenser is deactivated. A container collects the coins fed through the coin mechanism and upon a predetermined quantity of coins being received corresponding to the number of product servings, the container will move downwardly and deactivate the product dispenser and place the coin passageway in communication with a coin return passageway. A sold out sign and a ready sign are carried on the coin container and alternately register through a front panel window as the container moves between up and down positions.

United States Patent [1 1 3,692,165

Syverson [4 1 Sept. 19, 1972 VENDING MACHINE COIN [57] ABSTRACT MECHANISM A hot drink coin operated vending machine including [72] Inventor: Martelle J. Syverson, Albert Lea, a dry product which is dispensed in response to the Minn. proper coins being inserted into the coin mechanism. [73] Assignee: Fountain Industries, Inc" Albert The coin mechanism includes an inlet opening which Lea, Minn gauges the thickness, height and flatness of the coin and the passageway through which the coin moves in- Filedi 25,1970 cludes an undersized coin reject spring. A control [21] APP! NOJ 92,710 lever manually operated, includes top and bottom elements which alternately project into the passageway when the lever is in raised and lowered positions. The space between the elements accommodates the desired number of coins and micro switches engage the sides of the coins to control the flow of dry product. Upon release of the coins, the product dispenser is deactivated. A container collects the coins [56] References cued fed through the coin mechanism and upon a predeter- UNITED STATES PATENTS mined quantity of coins being received corresponding to the number of product servings, the container will [52] US. Cl ..l94/l3 [51] Int. Cl. ..G07f 13/10 [58] Field of Search ..l94/9, 13,14, 77, 102, 1 F,

'194/DIG. 15, 20; 221/14; 222/52, 63

Wood I 3 move downwardly and deactivate the product 2,593,813 4/1952 Derwalker ..l94/9 T dispenser and place the i passageway in communi 1,942,618 H1934 SCOtt ..194/DIG. I

cation with a coin return passageway. A sold out sign and a ready sign are carried on the coin container and alternately register through a front panel window as the container moves between up and down positions.

Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-Thomas E. Kocovsky Attorney-Zarley, McKee & Thomte 15 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures VENDING MACHINE COIN MECHANISM A home or office hot drink dispensing machine requires that it involve a minimum amount of expense and thus operate assimply as possible while still retaining control of the food product being dispensed. The machine may be made self-supporting by inclusion of a coin mechanism but the coin mechanism must have the capability of rejecting unsuitable coinsand returning coins when the food product has been depleted. These features and others are present in the drink dispensing machine of this invention which includes a unique coin control system operatively connected to the food product dispenser.Coins are sized according to diameter thickness and flatness by the inlet opening of the coin passageway. Undersized coins are ejected by a spring positioned in the coin passageway. The manually operable lever includes top and bottom elements for holding coins therebetween and while the coins are being held by the lever they are engaged by micro switches which close acircuit through a solenoid connected to the product dispenser.

A coin container is placed under the coin passageway and is balanced on a pivotal arm counterbalanced by an adjustable weight such that when a predetermined number of servings has been made from the dispenser the coin container will pivot the arm downwardly and actuate a switch which opens the circuit through the dispenser solenoid. The coins are then received by a return passageway due to the wall of the coin container extending between the coin passageway and the coin return passageway. The front panel ofthe dispenser housing includes a window in which a sold out or ready sign appears depending on theposition of the coin container.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements and combination of the various parts .of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a beverage dispenser.includingthecoin operated control system of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coin mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the coin mechanism and coin container;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view similarto FIG. 3 showing the coin lever moved to a secondposition and the coin operating a micro switch;

FIG. 6 is a crosssectional view:taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the coin container; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified coin lever adapted to receive a plurality of coins which in turn actuate separate micro switches.

The coin mechanism of this invention is referred to generally in FIG..3 by the reference numeral 10 and is shown in FIG. 1 in a drink vending machine housingl2. The housing 12 includes a spigot 14 for dispensing hot water and a chamber16 in which a cup maybeplaced to receive a food product such as coffee orthe like from a cartridge 18. A solenoid 20 is connected to a product scoop 22 normally retracted into the dispenser cartridge 18 and when actuated will meter product from the-cartridge 18 down into a cup placed in the chamber 16. The coin mechanismlO feeds coins into a container 24 which upon receiving a predetermined number of coins actuates a micro switch 26 to open the solenoid circuit for the solenoid 20 thereby rendering inoperative the dispenser 18 upon'a coin being placed in the machine. a t

The .coin mechanism 10 includes a coin passageway 28 in communication with an inlet opening slot 30 in the front housing panel 32. The opening 30 has a substantial depth, as seen in FIG. 6,. for restricting entry into the coin passageway 28 to coins which are sufficiently flat and which will not jam the coin mechanism 10. Thus, the height and width of the passageway 30, along with the depth thereof, gauges coins 34 and allows only use of coins having proper size characteristics.

As the coin 34 rolls on down the passageway 28, it engages akickout spring 36 in registry with an opening 38 and thereby ejects coins 34a, as seen in FIG. 4, which are undersized. The coin 34a isreceived in a return passageway 38 formed by the housing front panel 32 and a guide wall 40. The passageway 38 has an outlet opening 42 on the front of the machine, for return of the coin to the user.

The properly sized coin 34, as seen in FIG. 4, travels on down the passageway 28 to where it engages the upper element 46 on a hand operated pivotal lever 48. A lower element 50 is provided which cooperates with the upper element 46 to I provide a space 52 therebetween in which the coin 34 is received when the lever 48 is pushed to the down positiomas seen in FIG.

is closed and thereby operates the solenoid 20 for dispensing product .from the dispenser 18 into the chamber 16.-The lever 48 is then released and a spring 62 returns it to its up position and the procedure is repeated. The coin 34 having passed the lever 48 is then fed into a coin container 70, as seen in FIG. 4.

The coin container is movable in a vertical plane between up and down positions on a pivotal arm 72 counterbalanced by a longitudinally adjustable weight 74. The micro switch 26 includes an actuating element 76 engaged by a hook element 78 on an upstanding post 80 at the outer end of the arm 72. An arm 82 is pivotally connected to thepost 80in parallel relationship to the arm .721to maintain the container 70 in a vertical plane as it is raised and lowered.

A window is formed in the front panel 32 of the dispenser 12 and registers either the sign sold out 94 or ready 96, as seen in FIG. 7.

An alternate embodiment of the coin mechanism is shown in FIG. 8 and indicated by the reference numeral 10a and includes a lever 48a having upper and lower elements 46 and 50 spaced apart sufficiently to receivetwo or more coins 34b which actuate separate micro switches 60a connected in series.

Thus it is seen in operation that the machine is made ready by providing an empty coin container 70 having the counterbalanced weight 74 adjusted such that the number of coins corresponding to the number of servings in the product dispenser 18 are equal whereby the product dispenser solenoid 20 will be deactivated by the switch 26. A water container feeding the spigot 14 is filled and a coin is inserted into the coin slot 30 and is sized thereby for maximum dimensions. If it is too large or insufficiently flat it will not be accepted. The depth of the opening 30, as seen in FIG. 6, is sufficient to prevent the coin from being threaded into the passageway 28 as would be possible if the depth corresponded to the thickness of the front panel wall 32. The coin then rolls on down the passageway and if too small is ejected by the spring 36 through the opening 38 and is returned to the operator through the passageway 39 which communicates with the return opening 42 on the front panel 32. Upon a proper coin having been inserted into the coin mechanism, the operator then pushes down the lever 48 such that the coin 34 moves to the position of FIG. and actuates the micro switch 60 engaging the coin on its flat side. The solenoid 20 is thereby operated and a scoop of product is withdrawn from the cartridge 18 and dropped into a cup placed in the chamber 16. The operator then removes the cup from the chamber 16 and fills it with hot water from the spigot 14.

Upon the predetermined number of servings having been made from the machine, the coins in the container 70 will cause the container to pivot the arms 72 and 82 to their solid line down position of FIG. 1, and the sold out sign 94 will register in the window 90 on the front panel 32 while the micro switch 26 will be opened thereby deactivating the solenoid 20 operating the scoop on the product cartridge 18. The coin container wall 70a moves downwardly to the dash line position of FIG. 4, thereby permitting the coins 34 to be returned to the return passageway 39 and return to the operator. Upon removal of the coins from the container 70, and the insertion of a new cartridge 18 into the machine, the machine will be ready to be used for another predetermined number of servings.

While the coin mechanism 10, as seen in the drawings, is formed by a pair of plate members bolted together, this mechanism could be as well formed from plastic which has been injected molded. In the embodiment of FIG. 8 the solenoid 20 is rendered inoperative until both micro switches 60a have been activated and this requires, in the example illustrated, two coins being positioned between the top and bottom elements 46 and 50 in the space 52.

I claim:

1. A coin operated control system comprising, a device having an inlet opening in communication with a coin passageway, a manually operable control lever pivotally secured to said device and movable between a normal first position and an operative second position, said lever including spaced apart top and bottom stop elements adapted to alternately extend into said passageway when said lever is moved between said first and second positions, said top element being adapted to limit a coin from entering said space between said elements when said lever is in said normal first position and said bottom element being adapted to limit a coin from moving out of said space when said lever is in said operative second position and said lever is spring biased to said normal first position, and actuation means extending to said passageway at a point adjacent the space between said elements and actuatable only by coins having moved past said top element.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said actuation means engages said coin on the flat side surface whe in said space between said elements.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said space between said elements is sufficient to hold a predetermined number of coins whereby upon said lever moving to said second position said predetermined number of coins move into said space and upon said lever being returned to said first position said coins are adapted to move by gravity past said bottom element.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein an actuation means is provided for each of said predetermined number of coins and said actuation means are connected together in series such that for them to be operative each has to simultaneously be activated by a com.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said passageway includes a reject opening and a spring element extends into said opening to eject coins through said opening out of said passageway, said opening having a predetermined size such that all coins small enough to pass therethrough will be ejected by said spring element.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said reject opening in said passageway is in substantial alignment with a second opening on the opposite side thereof and said spring element is secured to said passageway on the outside thereof and extends into said passageway through said second opening.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said inlet opening has a predetermined height, width and depth such that only coins having a minimum diameter and thickness and which are substantially flat will be accepted through said inlet opening and into said passageway.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said passageway includes a reject opening and a spring element extends into said opening to eject coins through said opening out of said passageway, said opening having a predetermined size such that all coins small enough to pass therethrough will be ejected by said spring element.

9. The structure of claim 1 wherein a container is moveably positioned below said passageway to move between first and second positions, said passageway being in communication with said container only in said first position and means for moving said container to said second position upon a predetermined quanity of coins being received in said container.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said container is carried on a pivotal arm having an adjustable counterbalance weight such that a predetermined weight of coins will move said container to said second position.

1 l. The structure of claim 10 wherein said adjustable counterbalance weight is adjustable along said arm relative to the pivot axis of said arm.

12. The structure of claim 9 wherein a coin return opening is provided and is closed to communication with said passageway by said container when in said first position and is in communication with said passageway when said container is in said second positron.

13. The structure of. claim 12 wherein said moveable container is operatively connected to an electrical switch whereby movement of said container between said first and second positions operates said switch.

14. The structure of claim 12 wherein a stabilizer 15. The structure of claim 14 wherein a cover wall is member is positioned in parallel relation with said arm provided in front of said container and includes a winand is connected to said container, said ar and id dow, said container includes two signs having indicia stabilizer member each being pivotally connected to and each of Sald $18115 P S reglfm'able Wlth said container to maintain said container in a common 5 sald wmdowr alternately as said container moves vertical plane in moving between said first and second between Sal-d first and second posmons' positions. 

1. A coin operated control system comprising, a device having an inlet opening in communication with a coin passageway, a manually operable control lever pivotally secured to said device and movable between a normal first position and an operative second position, said lever including spaced apart top and bottom stop elements adapted to alternately extend into said passageway when said lever is moved between said first and second positions, said top element being adapted to limit a coin from entering said space between said elements when said lever is in said normal first position and said bottom element being adapted to limit a coin from moving out of said space when said lever is in said operative second position and said lever is spring biased to said normal first position, and actuation means extending to said passageway at a point adjacent the space between said elements and actuatable only by coins having moved past said top element.
 2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said actuation means engages said coin on the flat side surface when in said space between said elements.
 3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said space between said elements is suffiCient to hold a predetermined number of coins whereby upon said lever moving to said second position said predetermined number of coins move into said space and upon said lever being returned to said first position said coins are adapted to move by gravity past said bottom element.
 4. The structure of claim 3 wherein an actuation means is provided for each of said predetermined number of coins and said actuation means are connected together in series such that for them to be operative each has to simultaneously be activated by a coin.
 5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said passageway includes a reject opening and a spring element extends into said opening to eject coins through said opening out of said passageway, said opening having a predetermined size such that all coins small enough to pass therethrough will be ejected by said spring element.
 6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said reject opening in said passageway is in substantial alignment with a second opening on the opposite side thereof and said spring element is secured to said passageway on the outside thereof and extends into said passageway through said second opening.
 7. The structure of claim 1 wherein said inlet opening has a predetermined height, width and depth such that only coins having a minimum diameter and thickness and which are substantially flat will be accepted through said inlet opening and into said passageway.
 8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said passageway includes a reject opening and a spring element extends into said opening to eject coins through said opening out of said passageway, said opening having a predetermined size such that all coins small enough to pass therethrough will be ejected by said spring element.
 9. The structure of claim 1 wherein a container is moveably positioned below said passageway to move between first and second positions, said passageway being in communication with said container only in said first position and means for moving said container to said second position upon a predetermined quanity of coins being received in said container.
 10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said container is carried on a pivotal arm having an adjustable counterbalance weight such that a predetermined weight of coins will move said container to said second position.
 11. The structure of claim 10 wherein said adjustable counterbalance weight is adjustable along said arm relative to the pivot axis of said arm.
 12. The structure of claim 9 wherein a coin return opening is provided and is closed to communication with said passageway by said container when in said first position and is in communication with said passageway when said container is in said second position.
 13. The structure of claim 12 wherein said moveable container is operatively connected to an electrical switch whereby movement of said container between said first and second positions operates said switch.
 14. The structure of claim 12 wherein a stabilizer member is positioned in parallel relation with said arm and is connected to said container, said arm and said stabilizer member each being pivotally connected to said container to maintain said container in a common vertical plane in moving between said first and second positions.
 15. The structure of claim 14 wherein a cover wall is provided in front of said container and includes a window, said container includes two signs having indicia thereon and each of said signs being registrable with said window alternately as said container moves between said first and second positions. 